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Doug Kass' outlook on stocks grows gloomier with each low volume, vanishing volatility,...

  • Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 12:33 PM ET
    Doug Kass' outlook on stocks grows gloomier with each low volume, vanishing volatility, flat-uppish day. He cites research from Dick Arms showing these sorts of conditions are "almost always" signs of a market top. Are stocks about to have a Minsky ("stability begets instability") moment?
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  • But, we don't "almost always" have the vast majority of money allocated away from equities already, as we do now. That's why underlying support for markets is strong and selling volumes weak.
    21 Aug 2012, 12:36 PM Reply Like
  • Wait, the allocation away from equities has just begun.
    21 Aug 2012, 09:29 PM Reply Like
  • I think they are. Iron ore is crashing in China, just like it did during July 2011 ... the market levitated for a while back then as well, before plunging. It even pushed up to recovery highs just like today.
    21 Aug 2012, 12:36 PM Reply Like
  • "But this time it's different" ?
    21 Aug 2012, 12:45 PM Reply Like
  • like your humor...
    21 Aug 2012, 12:52 PM Reply Like
  • No one can predict the market!
    21 Aug 2012, 12:45 PM Reply Like
  • I don´t do code..so i do not know..but the retail investor is gone..that is for sure...its just the HFT´s now....algos ....but I do think everyone owns APPLE...
    21 Aug 2012, 12:47 PM Reply Like
  • Today was a great day for the bulls to get long.....buying the market at new highs; buying AAPL at new highs. With this sort of volume, you can really move things higher with just a few shares of buying.

    BUT, when we have a 'moment' (no-one is buying any protection--just look at how cheapo puts have become) people will try to squeeze through the door, only to find that it is very narrow.

    I am not in the business of predicting 'moments' and i doubt that Doug is either. His calls are always early, but have proven fairly succinct.

    It's fine to be long up here. Just make sure you have an exit strategy that doesn't rely on market liquidity, and which kicks in during the times when the regular equity markets are closed. There's an expense associated with that, but you will find that on a down draft where people are staring at the tape (it's an old fashioned term which only guys like me and Kass still use) in amazement that their entire summer's gain have evaporated in one (limit down) implosion, you will be comfortable with your long.

    Doug is probably right. It is like Goldman was doing yesterday: buying umbrella's when the rest of us could not see a cloud in the sky. They weren't doing it because they liked the color of the chute.
    21 Aug 2012, 12:51 PM Reply Like
  • Kass is a seasoned trader, even if he has been wrong for the last 50 or so points. The market is likely to trade in a range, as is the dollar and commodity complex. This has little to do with Minsky instabilities...
    21 Aug 2012, 12:53 PM Reply Like
  • How quickly everyone forgets the problems in Europe, more than half of reporting companies missing revenue forecasts, and slowing global growth.

    This leg up over the past two months feels like strong hands selling to weak hands.
    21 Aug 2012, 01:09 PM Reply Like
  • This is about to break, David. In one hand the ECB news since this weekend are all fabricated. In the other, iron ore is crashing in China, much like it did during July 2011 - check what happened next.
    21 Aug 2012, 01:22 PM Reply Like
  • So you sold too early, just like Kass?
    21 Aug 2012, 02:28 PM Reply Like
  • I finished selling today, we'll see if it was too early.
    21 Aug 2012, 02:30 PM Reply Like
  • How the mighty have changed their tune ---

    July 3 , Doug Kass stated that fair market value was 1430 ... has he changed his mind ?

    June 1 .. chances ".Rip-Your-Face-Apart Rally Are Growing "

    OK
    21 Aug 2012, 01:28 PM Reply Like
  • Something is not at all right with any off this market action.

    Last night I watch CBN.com and they were talking about Israel and Iran. Is that the trigger that gets things rolling? Israel no longer sharing their plans with US because of security leaks in the Obama administration.
    21 Aug 2012, 04:25 PM Reply Like
  • Kass is always news, but he is not infallible. The Israel-Iran conflict is likely to drive oil, gold and food up shortly, or at least by Oct. Looks highly probable if you trust Kudlow.

    Not exactly the time to be buying a market rising on lower volume and after indices rejected their new highs today. And, notice AAPL; what happened there? Get nervous, or maybe set your stops. Kass could be offering good advice.
    21 Aug 2012, 09:27 PM Reply Like
  • Weakness in (FCX) (CLF) (AMAT) and a slew of other semiconductor stocks confirm this observation. September is right around the corner. The euro politicians who were on vacay will now make those important decisions again, which will once again spiral down China's index and the resources sector.
    22 Aug 2012, 08:06 AM Reply Like
  • Japan just tanked....not good..but they still buy US Treasuries bigtime
    22 Aug 2012, 08:30 AM Reply Like
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